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domingo, 2 de octubre de 2016

INTERVIEW WITH ICON MAGAZINE (SPAIN)

JAMIE DORNAN

AWARD FOR PERSEVERANCE

There are Twitter accounts dedicated to celebrate the shape of his arms. Advertising images where this exmodel appeared wallowing with Kate Moss, or smeared with oil along with Eva Mendes, form part of the popular imagery of the past decade. Media as serious as The New York Times came to nickname him "the Golden torso" and a simple trailer for the second installment of 50 shades of Grey - where he plays the most indecipherable icon of our age: a millionaire fond of sadomasochistic sex - managed that hundreds of alienated fans filled the movie theaters while they counted the days on the calendar until the arrival of the premiere (February 14, 2017). Jamie Dornan, the one that seems to care the least. Northern Ireland's 34 year old clearly wants to offer something more than an intimidating physical image. He could have spent his days stringing advertising contracts while continuing to be shown half naked but he decided to become an actor. And after facing the prejudices of half of humanity, there came a surprise: the series The fall, where he plays a psychopath of his native Belfast and that has just released its third season, he revealed himself as an interpreter of an unsuspected depth. His latest film, conceived as an antidote to the massive fame that has provided Christian Grey, follows on the same line. The siege of Jadotville , which opens on October 7 on Netflix, is inspired by a real case. In 1961, during the war of Katanga, a secessionist province of Congo, an Irish battalion of 150 soldiers sent by the United Nations was attacked by some 3000 men of the local army assisted by French and Belgian mercenaries. There were five days of fierce fighting, but this battle was deleted from the official history of Ireland. "I had no idea of this episode. It remained muted for years for several reasons, which I find embarassing since it shows Irish heroics on a large scale" He explains in one of those accents that tenderly forces the ear to the inner courtyard of the London district of Shoreditch, after a photo shoot in which he had been simple and sociable, spontaneous and somewhat foul-mouthed.

Why did you get into this business?
Because I don't have the proper attitude for working in an office. From a young age I knew that I was not that kind of person: I lack the patience to sit before a computer. I had no idea what I would do, but I think that all those who work in film feel it. I started in the theatre at the age of 13. I loved to be a different person, express myself differently than my friends on the rugby team. It was clear I wanted to be an actor. I felt comfortable in a world that I'm allowed to not behave as expected of me.

How did you end up modeling?
For a year I studied marketing, pretending to become a true adult. Until I discovered that it was a waste of time and money. I did not wanted to commodify anything and the simple idea of ​​doing it repulsed me.I did not have any other plans, then my sister pushed me to modeling. At age 20, if they tell you they will give you a lot of money by posing gloomily while you take a picture, it is foolish to say no. The models have a bad reputation. Don't get me wrong, there is a lot of dumb models out there, but it seems like a crime to me to earn so much money for doing so little.

It also has its complications. When the aim is to do the other things, it can be a straitjacket that is hard to escape.
It is true. I found that out very early. Some things benefit you, but in general there is a big stigma. It has always been infuriating that, by being a model for a few years, you can no longer be a valid actor. Especially in the UK. In America, they don't give a shit.

People discovered there you knew how to act. Why do you think that works best in this series than in other projects?
Peter O'Toole, who knew what he was taking about, once said that great roles make great actors. Look at Tom Cruise: Filmed Rainman the same year as Cocktail. He took high praise for one, and he was nominated for a Razzie for the other. I think thats the ultimate test, O'Toole said.

Why accept 50 Shades of Grey and what has been the result of that decision? Now it is better known, but it is not a new straitjacket from which escape?
Yes and no. I do not care what is perceived of me, beyond what my friends and my family think and I like challenges. The rest of my career may be defined by that character, but it just means I'll have to fight a little harder to break that. Participating in a franchise with so many followers is a huge opportunity, regardless of the fear I sometimes have, with the perception we all have it. It's all about finding a balance. Since then, I have done three independent films.

You earned rave reviews for The fall, but less good for 50 Shades of Grey. How did you take it?
I can even repeat some of memory. When I had an instagram account, I was sent a montage of the worst criticism. I found it hilarious. One critic said he had the "charisma of oatmeal" Others reported it in Christian publications ... I won't lose sleep for that.

So it did not affect you in the least.
No. People said derogatory things about books and about the kind of fans who like it, and the truth is that it seems disrespectful to those people, but, personally, I do not care. In fact, I dont think I was good in that movie. I'm pretty sure that's my worst performance to date and I dont mind admitting it. Sometimes things are beyond your control, although I'm not making excuses. Oatmeal was a bit harsh, but I agree. And I'm sure those 17 critical readers also did.

A while ago he was asked about the objectification of women and their bodies. He replied that it also affects men, including being among those affected. It is something that you try to resist?
It's being part of the job. If you're an actor, you will be converted into an object. Unfortunately, it happens more to women, because people are obsessed with their shapes and their nakedness when for me is something completely natural. As an actor, you have to try your best to control this risk that you take. If you do everything directors ask, you will surely end up feeling hurt and used, you should try to maintain some control.

Some things in 50 shades are taken literally and people see all kinds of subtexts about relationships between men and women. How did you face having to interpret it?
I took the latter, because that was the intention of the person who wrote it. I marvel at all the controversy over the content of the books. I would not clash at all. While they are not hurting or killing anyone, I feel good. People who pities submissives in sadomasochism does not understand that it is they who wish to have that role. There are people who play bridge and find it quite exciting. That almost scares me ... (laughs). We tend to believe that we are less rigid and more open, more liberal and tolerant than the generation of our fathers, but I don't think we are. We remain a conservative and Christian society.

And I know what he's talking about: his two grandfathers were priests.
Yes, but religion was not important in my education, my parents took me to church when I was six. They saw that I showed no interest and they let it run, to be honest, I do not believe any of that. It seems too improbable.Where did you grow up?
On the outskirts of Belfast, in a house by the sea. I come from an upper middle class family. I had a very happy childhood, apart from losing my mother at age 16 and four of my best friends a year later (in a traffic accident). Until that time, I had been very happy.

How did the loss of your mother change you?
It is something that affects you in a thousand different ways every day. I dont think that I will ever come to accept it, unless I go to see a therapist to explain to me how. Maybe it turned me into someone more determined ... I still get very angry when I think about it. At my age, it frustrates me so much that my mother is no longer here, because now I have two daughters who won't meet her. It makes me sad.Before succeeding, you spent over 10 years making castings without success, what do you think prompted you to continue?
I am a stubborn and very competitive person. In sports, for example, I do not like to lose. I still have a group of friends who I met at that time. Then we were pretty bad things, but we're now doing well, and he refers to actors Eddie Redmayne and Andrew Garfield (with whom he shared an apartment). I would say that we were on the right track. I guess I had more confidence in myself than I thought. When I read a bad review, I try to remember that I am part of 5% of actors who have jobs. And that makes me very happy. In the end, that's all you can hope. I find it disgusting that people are acting to leave a legacy behind. To can say, "When it is over at least I will have played Hamlet at the Donmar Warehouse ... (renowned London theater) What more will it matter? None of it matters, I am the son of doctors, who do things that matter.

Jamie, our man cover, was presented as a modest and sensible guy, without a hint of conceit that reproach him. The session was in a studio near to the train tracks in Shoreditch, in the revaluated East London. Dornan was given to play in the face of Neil's camera and opted for a 'look' that teeth gritted their representatives, more concerned with their elegance and composure that the individual concerned. "If he likes it ..." they resigned themselves.